The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced a major new initiative that is set to see the whole energy industry working together to harness the potential of consumer-owned energy.
Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are the array of consumer-owned, small-scale energy technologies that sit ‘behind the meter’ in homes and businesses including rooftop solar, home batteries, smart appliances, smart thermostats or pool pumps and charging points for electric vehicles. According to CSIRO and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts, up to 45 per cent of all electricity generated in Australia will be coming from DER by 2050, compared to just 3 per cent today.
The brand new Distributed Energy Integration Program (DEIP) is a collaboration of energy peak bodies, market authorities, industry associations and consumers associations to maximise the value of customers’ distributed resources for all energy users. The joint initiative will involve ARENA, AEMO, Australia Energy Market Commission (AEMC), Australian Energy Regulator, Clean Energy Regulator, Energy Consumers Australia, Clean Energy Council, Australian Energy Council, Energy Networks Australia, CSIRO and Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
The DEIP was formed to deal with the expected increase in uptake of rooftop solar, home batteries and other technologies – such as smart appliances and electric cars – over the coming decades. To keep up with this increase, changes are required to make DER system planning, operations, markets, regulatory frameworks and industry business models efficient.
The organisations behind the DEIP will work together to coordinate the rollout of initiatives aimed at growing the penetration of DERs in Australia through improved cost and time efficiencies, informing energy consumers and supporting the development of innovative business models.
This morning ARENA CEO Darren Miller said bringing together key stakeholders in the energy sector would help to ensure quicker and more effective integration of DERs.
“Australia is at the global forefront of the adoption of distributed energy and will have one of the most decentralised energy systems in the world in the coming decades,” Mr Miller said.
“There are currently over 1.8 million rooftop solar systems already installed in Australia, and this is only expected to grow as more Australians install home batteries, home energy management systems, smart appliances and start driving electric cars,” he explained, “the uptake of these technologies is only expected to grow which is why we need to grapple with the implications of this now.”
Mr Miller further explained that DER has the potential to support a reliable, affordable and lower-emissions electricity grid.
“Rooftop solar, home batteries and other behind the meter technologies are going to reduce energy costs for the consumers that buy them, but this is a huge disruption to the traditional management of the grid and operation of the electricity market,” he commented.
“DEIP’s whole-of-industry approach will ensure we share ideas, knowledge and resources. By bringing together key industry, government bodies and consumers, we will ensure that everyone is on the same page and agrees on the best way to integrate consumer energy into the grid and transform our electricity system into a two-way street.”
AEMC Chief Executive Anne Pearson said the future power system will see more consumers buying and selling energy in a dynamic way in response to price signals.
“The AEMC is adapting regulatory frameworks so consumers can optimise the value of their investments in distributed energy resources. This can help consumers manage their bills, while also providing more options for AEMO to keep the system secure and reliable,” she said.
More information on this program can be found here.
